


Christmas with the Pendragons

by aa_fic



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Fluff, Holidays, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-07
Updated: 2012-03-07
Packaged: 2017-11-01 15:11:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/358253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aa_fic/pseuds/aa_fic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p> Morgana brings her college friend Merlin to the Pendragons’s cabin in Camelot, Maine for the annual family Christmas vacation. Snow, Christmas trees, cookies, big sweaters, warm fires, and Merthur combine to bring slashy fluff to the season.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas with the Pendragons

“Daddy, can Merlin come with us to Camelot for Christmas this year?”

At the mention of that name, Arthur’s head shot up from the website he was editing. Morgana was twisting her curled black hair, gazing at Uther in that irritating, candy-eyed way she had whenever she wanted something from her father. And she usually got it.

“Sure, my little witch. God knows we’ve room enough at the cabin,” Uther responded, popping open the oven and poking his head down to check the contents.

“Fantastic! Thanks, Daddy!” Morgana gave a little clap and scurried out of the kitchen with Fluffy, the family’s Pomeranian, padding after her.

“Father, honestly. You let her get away with murder,” Arthur said, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit tingly at the thought of seeing Merlin again. They had hung out a few times at Columbia when Arthur was in his senior year. Morgana had desperately wanted to go to the same university as her brother but felt out of place when she arrived on the large campus, suddenly a Nobody. She needed a willing sidekick, and Merlin was just the kind of kid to follow his glamorous but insecure little sister around with utter adoration.

When he first met Merlin eating with Morgana in the King’s Table at John Jay, Arthur was distinctly underwhelmed. Merlin was kind of a dork and had funny ears and a strange little face that contorted itself into all manner of expressions when he spoke. But the more he saw Merlin, the more the kid grew on him until one day, during a lecture on the Roman conquest of Britain, he was surprised to find himself actually daydreaming about the cute way Merlin’s eyes would crinkle up when he laughed.

But all that was years ago. Arthur was a project coordinator in a prominent New York web development firm and Morgana was impossibly sillier than she had ever been, and no doubt Merlin was just the same. An age difference of three years was not so much, Arthur thought, but having graduated from college and moved up in a company put him in a totally different place. Morgana and Merlin were just a couple of kids.

The heavy pot of braised beef that Uther was lifting out of the oven filled the kitchen with an earthy aroma of the woods and rosemary and winter. “Oh come on, Arthur. Don’t you think you’re being a little harsh? We always have such fun in Maine for Christmas, and it’ll be so nice to have a full house to cook for. Of course, if you had a boyfriend, we’d invite him too, but since you don’t...” Uther shrugged. His father’s not-so-subtle hints about his ongoing singleness were starting to wear on Arthur. He’d have more time to meet people if he didn’t have to work 60 hours a week for the next promotion—not to mention these long Sunday family dinners Uther insisted on. Which Arthur kind of liked, but whatever. That wasn’t the point.

The fact was, Arthur had been alone for longer than he’d cared to admit. After his two-year relationship with Gwaine ended when they graduated, Arthur had been so hurt that he had not even wanted to see anyone else. And then he had gotten kind of used to things. It seemed like too much effort to find someone new. And too scary. Even if it was a little boring sometimes, he was comfortable in his stable, workaholic lifestyle. And that’s just the way he’d like to keep it.

\--

Arthur was outside the Pendragon cabin chopping wood for the fireplace. Sure, the cabin was heated; and if the ambiance of a roaring fire was wanted, the Pendragons could easily ask the local lumber company to drop off a stack, but Arthur liked the way doing it himself made him feel, like a rugged outdoorsman. As far as he was concerned, chopping his own wood was a signature part of the whole “get away from the city” experience. And in his warm Moncler boots and plaid flannel shirt, his blond hair just a little damp with sweat from his exertions, he certainly looked the part. Besides, the rhythmic swing of the ax as it split each log into two, then four, then eight, put him into a deep meditation he rarely experienced in the frenetic pace of work and meetings and email.

Arthur heard a car door slam. He paused, then smashed the ax through another log of wood. Morgana had said Merlin would be arriving sometime that day. But he wasn’t nervous about seeing him, he told himself. Why should he be? Merlin had been kind of cute three years ago, but he doubted that with the baby fat gone, he would continue to be attractive. And anyway, if Merlin hung out with Morgana all the time, he was probably a self-indulgent, silly little git.

“Hey, Arthur! Is that you? Do you remember me?” a cheerful voice called out.

Arthur turned to stare at Merlin walking towards him over the snow, a large rucksack slung over his shoulder. Arthur almost didn’t recognize Merlin behind the black, plastic-framed glasses he had adopted. Hiding his neck was a scarf checkered blue and white, and glancing down, Arthur noticed that Merlin’s tight black-washed jeans were tucked into a pair of dorky hiking boots.

He looked like a goddamn hipster. He looked, Arthur conceded to himself, pretty damn cute.

“Man, this place looks like a castle!” Merlin exclaimed, looking around. “When Morgana asked me to come to her cabin for the holidays, I was expecting, I don’t know, something else entirely—a one-room shack with no electricity! Washing my stockings in the river and hanging them over the fireplace! Bears!” Merlin laughed, his dimples popping out and, Arthur couldn’t help but notice, his high cheekbones bringing an alluring shadow to his face.

Arthur gulped. “The cabin has its charms,” he said, his voice sounding something less than smooth. Merlin was eyeing him in an almost—was it flirtatious?—way. Arthur cleared his throat and began again.

“I’m glad you like it. It was built in 1882 by a New York senator who wanted a quiet place for his family to live while he was in the Capitol.” A note of pride entered Arthur’s voice. “The wood inside is all original, although we’ve had it restored, of course. I’m particularly fond of the old stone fireplace in the den; it’s wonderful this time of year. And we’re well hidden from the world with 3 miles of forest in all…” Arthur stopped short, looking past Merlin as another man came walking toward them, balancing several bags and Christmas gifts and looking for all the world like he was planning to shack up there. For a while.

Merlin turned and then smiled roundly. “Oh, Arthur, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend Will!”

\---

“Welcome, boys!” Uther said, grating fresh nutmeg with a microplane into a bowl of pancake batter. “I hope you both slept well.”

Arthur, who had been sitting at the table for—if he cared to be honest with himself—at least an hour waiting for Merlin to wake up, turned from his newspaper to see Merlin and Will standing next to each other at the entryway to the kitchen. Merlin’s black hair looked soft and tousled and was sticking up cutely in the back. He was wearing an oversized grey cotton sweatshirt marked with the Columbia logo and, Arthur was stunned to see, light blue flannel pajama bottoms. With penguins on them.

Will, on the other hand, looked kind of dirty, the grease in his hair matting it down on his forehead. And Arthur just knew that his morning breath stank.

Morgana smirked. “I bet they slept _real_ good.”

Merlin flushed while Uther pretended not to hear her comment. “Why don’t you have a seat? I’m making spiced apple pancakes.”

“Mmm, yum!” Merlin answered, pulling up a chair. “I love pancakes!”

“Well you’ll need them. We’re going cross-country skiing in a bit. It’s quite a workout,” Arthur told him.

“Oh,” Merlin appeared to be seriously troubled by the idea. “Yeah, um, I’m not the most athletic person,” he said. “Maybe you can just go without us? Me and Will can watch a movie or something until you get back. And anyway, we don’t have skis.”

“No problem at all,” Uther assured him. “We’ve got stacks!” He looked almost too cheerful as he dropped the first spoonfuls of batter into the frying pan.

Morgana smiled over her iPad as she hit the refresh button on her Tumblr dash to see if _embraceyourpastyirishboy_ had posted anything new about her favorite show. “Yeah, it’s no problem at all.” She gave them a wicked smile. “We’re going to have _such_ fun.”

\---

The Pendragons were dressed to the nines in their Patagonia snow jackets, rabbit-fur hats, and skiing goggles when Merlin and Will finally trudged out of the cabin. Merlin, on the other hand, was wearing a hat of questionable warmth. Arthur noticed that he did not have his hipster glasses on. Which meant he either didn’t actually need glasses or was wearing contacts. Either way, Arthur thought, he was a vain little idiot. Beside Merlin, Will was regarding the forest with a cocky look on his face.

Arthur felt like shooting him with a crossbow.

“There you both are! We were going to send in a rescue party, and we haven’t even made it to the woods yet,” laughed Uther. “One of the greatest things about the cabin is that we have miles of trails right behind us. No need to travel to the state park or ski resort—just walk outside whenever you have the urge!” At this idea, Merlin and Will glanced at each other skeptically.

After some clumsy wrangling to get their skis on, Merlin and Will slid after the Pendragons. “This is really weird,” said Merlin. “Am I doing it right?”

“Just relax into it. It’ll be easier as we go,” Arthur tried to reassure him.

“Right. Relax, easy,” responded Merlin, his eyes focused on the ground in front of him.

As they made their way into the woods, Uther slowed his pace to match Merlin’s. “So, how long have you two been together?” Arthur couldn’t help but listen up.

“About 6 months.”

“Really?” responded Uther. “That’s wonderful. If I may ask, how did you two meet?”

“Merlin used to come to the coffee shop where I worked. He would always do his bio homework at the counter, just so I couldn’t miss him. He’d order his espresso, and then start talking my ear off,” smiled Will. “Finally, I got up the courage to ask him out.”

“Yeah, it only took you 3 weeks,” joked Merlin.

“Don’t blame me!” Will said. “If you weren’t so bloody _cute_ …I was terrified of you! I thought for sure you would turn me down.”

“Aw, don’t be silly,” soothed Merlin, pushing the top of his head into Will’s shoulder and trying not to stumble over his skis.

“Oh my God, will you guys _please stop_? You’re making Arthur sick over there with your sappiness!”

“Oh, shut up, Morgana. You’re a royal pain,” mumbled Arthur. He turned to Merlin and Will. “How are you guys doing? Cold?”

“A little. It’s all right though.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll heat up when we get going. And then once we’re home, I’ll make everyone some nice hot cocoa,” said Uther, gliding smoothly over the snow.

“Yes, Daddy loves making hot cocoa! It’s delicious,” Morgana confirmed.

“He makes it fresh with imported Belgian chocolate and milk—whole milk of course—from a local dairy. Espresso shot optional,” Arthur informed them a little snottily.

They skied quietly for awhile, becoming lost in the methodical slide of their skis over the ground, Merlin and Will finally seeming to get the hang of it. The forest was silent, magisterial, surrounding them completely, cutting them off from every worldly thing. A favorite verse went through Arthur’s mind: _The thick flakes floating at a pause / Were but frost knots on an airy gauze, / With the sun shining through_. The snow sparkled on the evergreen branches, and every once in a while Uther would point out the quiet presence of a crimson cardinal as it flitted away or the furry tail of a fox retreating before them.

“It’s really beautiful out here,” Will said, breaking the enchantment. “Lovely weather.”

“Yes, it’s lovely weather for hunting,” Arthur shot back reflexively, and then grimaced at himself.

Morgana giggled and sped up. “Come on, Pendragons, I don’t know how much longer I can handle going as slow as these two.” Uther took up the challenge and launched ahead, Morgana racing after him. “Arthur! Catch up!” she called back.

Just then one of Will’s skis crossed Merlin’s, pinning it under his. Merlin tried to lift his ski to escape and clung to Will for balance, which of course unseated them both, and suddenly the two had collapsed in a heap on the snowy ground, all limbs and skis and poles and laughter.

“Merlin you klutz!” called out Will.

“Me! Why, you’re the one who stepped on me, for God’s sake!” he laughed back, punching Will affectionately on the shoulder as he tried to sit up.

“I could strangle you! We’ll never get up!” Out of the awkwardness of his equipment Will wrestled Merlin onto his back. Arthur could hear Merlin’s delighted screams. “Will, stop! Will!” Will tickled Merlin’s ribcage through his jacket and then gave him a series of noisy kisses on the cheek, Merlin laughing uncontrollably.

Arthur, thoroughly revolted by this display, skied away to catch up with Uther and Morgana.

\---

Later that evening, after Uther had indeed prepared them hot cocoa (with a shot of espresso, optional) and fed them a meal of hearty pasta, whose sauce of chèvre and sweet basil and just-cut tomatoes made them forget the winter so entirely, the Pendragons and their guests sipped red wine in the den around the fire, told stories to each other, and gradually felt the day’s activities catch up with them. Uther and Morgana slipped off to bed for the night, and Arthur made his way to his own room. But he found that in spite of how tired he felt, he was unable to sleep. He lay for an hour in his bed, staring up at the icy moon through his window, Merlin’s face, older now but still innocent, forming over and over again in his mind.

Giving up, Arthur crept down the stairs to get a glass of water. He noticed the front door was ajar and heard the soft murmuring of voices coming from the porch. Arthur knew immediately who it was, but unable to stop himself, he tiptoed over to the door and gave it a slight push.

Peering out, trying not to be noticed, Arthur saw that the porch had been decorated with four or five white candles. The moon that he had been watching in his bedroom was even brighter here, throwing soft blue light on the scene. And a few feet away, Will and Merlin were standing under the mistletoe that hung from the porch overhang, giving each other brief, gentle kisses.

Arthur pulled back from the porch. For a moment, in spite of all that had happened between them, all that Gwaine had done, Arthur almost wished they were still together. That he had someone. That he wasn’t so alone.

\---

Arthur ignored the way Merlin and Will were casually touching hands at the kitchen table. At breakfast. With no regard for the PDA tolerance level of the other people in the room. And they looked like hell. Merlin’s eyes were swollen from a lack of sleep and Will could hardly hold his head up. Arthur did not even want to speculate on all that probably followed the romantic episode he had seen last night on the porch.

Will started drawing circles with his finger on Merlin’s open palm as he sipped his coffee. Unable to stand it any longer, Arthur leapt to his feet and clapped his hands together. “All right,” he said. “This place is not festive enough, and Christmas is only days away. We need a tree. Who’s coming?”

“Ooh! I love decorating the tree! Do you guys have a fake one, or are we making a trip to town to buy a real one?” Will asked.

Arthur looked horrified, and Uther almost rolled the dough he was kneading right off the counter.

“Fake tree?” Arthur stared. “ _Buy_?”

Morgana stroked Fluffy. “Will, the Pendragons would never buy a Christmas tree. My father and brother would not stoop to such indignities.” She loved pushing Arthur’s buttons.

He looked back at her in annoyance. “It’s not that we’re snobs. It’s that cutting down our own tree is a tradition for us.”

“Like with an ax?” asked Will.

“Yes, with an ax! And you lot are going to come along and help me,” responded Arthur.

“Not me,” said Morgana. “I spent quite enough time out in the snow yesterday, thank you. And I was really looking forward to just spending the day being cozy in the cabin.”

“Why don’t you and the boys go?” Uther suggested to Arthur. “Morgana can stay here with me. I was planning to have a baking day today. I’ve got to keep an eye on this bread while the dough rises, and I was thinking of throwing together a dark chocolate and hazelnut torte. Wouldn’t that be delicious!”

Arthur eyed the two skinny, tired-looking boys in front of him. He had no desire to spend the rest of the morning in their exclusive company. Not to mention they were entirely useless human beings. But he didn’t exactly relish the idea of going alone into the woods and dragging the tree back by himself.

He sighed. “Fine. Get yourselves together, and dress warmly for God’s sake. Let’s leave in 20.”

“Yes, sir!” Will shot back. Arthur was not amused.

\---

Ax in one hand and the reins to a long, pink children’s sled in the other, Arthur headed down the skiing trail they had taken yesterday. He remembered a few Christmas tree candidates from their trip and, in light of how the situation had developed, was eager to get this over with. Merlin and Will followed behind him a few steps back.

Every once in a while he would look over his shoulder to make sure that Cheech & Chong back there were keeping up. And then he started to notice that Will kept reaching for Merlin’s hand, but eventually Merlin would pull away. They seemed to be trying very hard not to look at each other.

Great. Now they were having some kind of lovers’ squabble. Arthur began to resent Morgana’s inviting them here for Christmas. This was a family holiday, and the only time of the year that Arthur got to relax. He loved the season and the Pendragon’s annual trip to Camelot, and now, instead of enjoying it, he had to endure both the lovey dovey stuff between her stupid college friends _and_ their irritating bickering. Arthur pressed ahead angrily. If they were going to be so self-involved, they could take care of themselves. He would chop down this tree by himself if he had to.

Arthur had been walking alone for ten minutes when the silence behind him started to make him feel a little uncomfortable. He turned around, but could no longer see Will and Merlin. Maybe he was being a jerk. They were obviously going through something, and he was their host. It was rude and even a little dangerous to abandon such clueless people in the woods, despite their proximity to the cabin.

“Merlin?” Arthur called out. “Will?”

There was no response. Arthur frowned and began to retrace his steps, starting to worry a little. “Merlin!” he repeated. He could not imagine how they had fallen so far behind in such a short amount of time. He began to imagine all sorts of horrifying scenarios: Merlin tripping on a tree branch and twisting his ankle; Will and Merlin stupidly wandering off on to another trail and becoming permanently lost in the woods; Will’s body grotesquely chewed up by a bear.

Arthur walked more quickly now. He prayed that he would see them as he rounded a spot where the trail bent. Not quite sure why, he raised his ax up in front of him as if it were a sword. As he turned the corner and squinted into the distance, Arthur could just make out a dim form ahead. And then moving closer, he felt relief melt the tightened muscles in his back. It was Merlin walking in short quick steps, his head bowed down.

“Merlin! Where is Will?” Arthur asked, catching up to him.

“He’s…he’s not feeling well. He didn’t get enough sleep last night. He felt bad about spoiling the fun, so he went back to the cabin.”

It was obvious to Arthur that Merlin was making excuses for Will, but the details were none of his business, and anyway he had no interest in serving as a marriage counselor to college students. Who were friends with his silly sister. And who were themselves silly.

“I’m sorry to hear it. Let’s just you and me go ahead then and find a suitable tree.”

“Is this going to be a problem now? I mean, now that there are only two of us? Will we be able to chop the tree down and bring it back ourselves?” Merlin worried.

“Yes, of course. Many times I go with only Morgana, and she’s utterly incapable, if you must know. She mostly just stands there calling me ‘Sir Brawny Man’ as I chop the tree down.” Merlin laughed at that, and it made Arthur feel unexpectedly pleased to have been the cause. “Don’t worry, Merlin. We’re not going to take down a massive tree or anything. It’s going to be more like a Charlie Brown one. Only with a few more branches. Hopefully. It’s not like when you go to a tree farm and have the choice of neatly manicured, perfectly-sized trees. We are basically going to nab the first one that we see that’s not a giant and that isn’t too far away from home. We don’t want to be lugging it back all afternoon!”

Merlin seemed to be relaxing with Arthur’s easy banter. “Here, you pull the sled,” Arthur said, handing the reins over to Merlin.

“What, you don’t trust me with the ax?”

Arthur laughed. “No. Not really!” Merlin smiled back at him, shivering a little.

“Jesus, Merlin.” Arthur said. “You knew you were coming to a cabin in the woods. For Christmas. In Maine. Might you have thought to bring some warmer clothing? Honestly, I don’t know how you’ve made it to the age of 21.”

“I’m not 21! I’m 22.”

“Whatever, 22. The point is, you’re a complete incompetent,” responded Arthur, unwrapping his own scarf. “Here, take mine.”

“No! You’ll be cold,” protested Merlin.

“Are you joking? I’ll be fine. This coat could keep me warm for a fortnight at the North Pole,” responded Arthur, reaching up and around Merlin’s head to wind the scarf around his neck.

“Thank you, Arthur. It’s really very kind.” Arthur again experienced that curious sense of warmth at Merlin’s goofy smile, and he couldn’t help but notice how entirely cute Merlin now appeared with Arthur’s scarf tucked just under his chin.

“Ok, then, let’s get a move on, or you’ll really freeze to death,” said Arthur gruffly, turning around. It was the first time they’d ever really been alone. They walked in awkward silence for a few minutes.

“So, Merlin, you’ve been friends with my sister for years, but I feel I hardly even know you,” Arthur began again.

“I know. I would have talked to you more, but you’ve always intimidated me.”

“Me?”

“Yes! When I first met you, I was just a stupid college freshman, and I thought your sister was so cool. Then she introduced me to you, and you were a senior. I know that seems ridiculous, but when you’re a first year, seniors are like rock stars. Especially you, because you were so popular and on the water polo team and so cute…” Merlin trailed off, blushing at the slip.

Arthur laughed out loud. “Is that so?” he asked mockingly, raising an eyebrow.

Merlin’s eyes shot up to meet Arthur’s before looking down again, “Ok, so I had a bit of a crush on you back then. I told you, I was a stupid freshman!”

“You are forgiven,” smiled Arthur. He felt a little too pleased with himself and eyed Merlin with affection. Merlin was an idiot, but maybe he wasn’t so bad. “What do you think about that one?” he asked, pointing to a tree.

“Hmm,” Merlin murmured as he evaluated. “I think it’s a bit empty looking around the middle. Maybe we could keep going?”

“We could,” Arthur returned, happy they wouldn’t be heading back quite so soon.

“Morgana told me you are an Internet hotshot.”

Arthur laughed. “Morgana is an idiot. I just work in a web development company.”

“What do you do?”

“Well, I used to do basic web coding. I was sort of like a trained monkey. It wasn’t very interesting because I wasn’t the one making decisions, but I enjoyed the practical nature of the work. I could lose myself in the editing. But now I am more of a project manager. I take the lead in design initiatives and make sure the new trained monkeys are building the websites up to standard. It can be very busy because I am often working with several clients at the same time, some of them very big.”

“That’s really cool, Arthur,” said Merlin, gazing at him.

“No, it’s just a job. What about you? What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“I am grown up, but I’m in the pre-med program, if that’s what you’re asking. I want to become a doctor.”

“Wow, really? I had no idea. I mean, I knew you were into biology, but Morgana never told me that.”

“Yeah, see, it’s just that I loved biology so much, but I wanted to do something useful with it, something to help people.” Talking about it, Merlin’s eyes lit up and his words began to rush out. Arthur found his enthusiasm absolutely adorable. “So I started to take courses on medicine, and it is so cool, the way you can take a person who is hurt or broken or even _dying_ and make them healthy again. It’s like being a wizard!”

Seeing that Arthur was openly amused at this, Merlin backpedaled. “Well obviously I know it’s not magic; it’s completely scientific. But even though there’s a scientific explanation for everything in medicine, there is still something there that we can’t completely understand, you know? Something that is bigger than us.”

Arthur found himself getting a little more serious. “I think I do,” he murmured. Maybe Merlin was more special than he had given him credit for. Arthur paused for a moment and stared into Merlin’s eyes, assessing him.

“I think there might be something downright magical about you, Merlin.”

\---

Arthur Pendragon slid his leg along the Russian Sable blanket that covered him and gave a bit of a moan. He became aware of the sunlight spilling onto his bed and squinted his eyes at the clock.

 _10:32_?

He rarely slept this late, but Arthur was too relaxed to get up. He turned onto his side, resting his head on one perfect, curled-up arm, and savored the feeling of bare skin against soft sheets.

He had had a blissful time with Merlin yesterday.

Arthur rubbed his chest thoughtfully as he imagined Merlin’s downy black hair, his cheekbones, his lips, pink and pillowy, which he moistened periodically with a little dart of his tongue. But most of all his eyes, his blue eyes that seemed to somehow glint brown in the light. Out there, alone in the woods with him, Arthur had felt so peaceful, so familiar…it was a sensation he had forgotten entirely. Merlin had turned out to be far more sweet and funny and intelligent than he had remembered.

And Merlin had seemed to like him just as much.

Together they had chosen the perfect Christmas tree: a six-foot tall Balsam Fir with full, aromatic branches and a lovely cone shape. Merlin had stood off to the side shouting encouragement while Arthur hacked at the narrow trunk with his ax. He was gratified by Merlin’s delighted look when the tree finally fell away from them to the forest floor. Together they lugged it onto the sled and each took up the reins to pull the tree back to the cabin, chatting and smiling as they walked.

Of course, thought Arthur as he forced himself out of the bed and into jeans, they’d had to see Will again. He was skulking in the den when they got back, peeved that they had taken so long. Things were awkward but Arthur tried to leave them alone, with Uther and Morgana supplying most of the talking over dinner and drinks. It wasn’t long before Arthur made his excuses and retired early to bed so he wouldn’t be forced to see them together for longer than was necessary.

But he couldn’t hide in his room forever. He put on a thin t-shirt with the “Dragon’s Brew” logo on it and headed downstairs. Merlin was already sitting at the table, wearing a hideous white sweater with a blue Fair Isle pattern that stretched around the shoulders. The chunky threads managed to make him look more nerdy than usual. Will, Arthur was relieved to see, was nowhere to be found. Neither was anyone else, for that matter.

“Where did everyone go?” asked Arthur.

“They went out for a walk.”

“Masochists,” Arthur opined.

“Hm, now you’re finally coming around to my way of looking at things,” said Merlin. Arthur laughed and sat down beside him. He restrained himself from reaching out for Merlin’s hand the way Will had during breakfast yesterday.

“Hey, Arthur,” Merlin said, his cheeks coloring slightly, “would you want to go into town with me, get a coffee together?”

Something about the way Merlin said “together” made him quiver. But given that Will was just outside, it was unlikely that Merlin was asking him on a date. “Um, now?”

“Well, whenever you want. I don’t mind waiting,” Merlin said.

“I’ll get ready now.”

\---

An hour later, Merlin and Arthur were hunched over snowflake-patterned mugs filled to the brim with mocha coffee and topped with whipped cream.

“This was such a good idea,” said Arthur, taking a tiny sip and managing to leave most of the whipped cream in place.

“It really was,” agreed Merlin, jamming his face into his mug and coming up a bit messy.

The Rising Sun was a favorite gathering spot for the nearby college’s adjunct faculty and the self-important writers who had migrated to Camelot in pursuit of a more “authentic” lifestyle and an intellectual community. Bad artwork adorned the walls, but the wood paneling and low lighting gave the Rising Sun a cozy feel. A few people were sitting alone at tables, clacking away on their MacBook Pros, and at the bar a woman with fashionably unwashed hair was laughing at the jokes of a 30-something hipster with black plugs in his earlobes. While Arthur was irritated at the pretense, Merlin, who was still wearing his oversized ugly sweater and had put his black plastic glasses on for the occasion, fit right in.

Merlin’s foot accidentally hit Arthur’s leg under the table.

“Oops, sorry,” Merlin said. Arthur looked back at him, wondering why Merlin had brought him here, but resolved to leave the question unasked. If there was something on Merlin’s mind, he would tell him when he was ready; and if not, he was content to sit there and enjoy Merlin’s company without the irritating presence of his boyfriend. They chatted for awhile about Columbia, Arthur asking him for updates on the few people he knew who were still students there, and solicited gossip about the faculty.

Finally Merlin’s face went serious. “Arthur,” he said quietly, “Will left this morning.”

Arthur’s stomach dropped down right into his luxury boots. “Oh,” he breathed. “What happened? I mean, you don’t have to talk about it. I hope you’re ok, though.”

“No, I did want to talk about it. That’s why I asked you to have coffee with me. I’m just feeling a little confused and I needed a friend.”

“What did Morgana say?”

“I haven’t exactly made a formal announcement.”

“Yes, of course,” Arthur answered, not at all understanding why Merlin preferred to tell him rather than his sister.

“I don’t know, for some reason, after yesterday…I only wanted to tell you.” Merlin blushed hard into his mug.

“Oh,” paused Arthur. He pitied Merlin for the distressed look on his face, but could not help feeling a bit elated that Will was gone and that Merlin had come to him for consolation. “Well you know you can tell me anything.”

“I know. It’s just…things have been hard for a while now. I care about Will a lot, but for the last month or so, thinking about graduating in the Spring and starting my real life, I started wondering how Will would fit into it. I think Will wants to follow me wherever I go next.”

“And?”

“And, I’m not sure that’s what I want.”

“So why did you bring him here?”

“When Morgana suggested I come for Christmas, I thought that maybe I could give Will and me one more chance. Maybe we just needed a break from school and stress and people. I thought it would be so romantic here, and we’d patch things up. But I’ve been a total jerk, continuing to try at this with Will and then pulling away at the same time. And yesterday I realized that however much I like Will, he’s not the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I’m not…I’m not in love with him. So when we got back from cutting down the tree, I told him that.”

“And he left.”

“Yes, he left.”

“I’m really sorry, Merlin,” said Arthur. He reached out to grab his hand but then changed his mind and pulled back. “I know this is hard, but you did the right thing.”

“I feel like such an ass.”

“Well, you are a bit,” Arthur laughed. “But seriously, you can’t choose who you love. If it wasn’t meant to be with Will, it wasn’t meant to be.”

“I know you’re right, but I still feel terrible. You didn’t see the look on his face this morning.” Arthur thought tears were beginning to appear in Merlin’s eyes and longed to scoot into the bench beside him and take Merlin in his arms.

“I’ve already packed my bags already, too,” Merlin said.

“What?”

“If you wouldn’t mind dropping me off at the train station sometime today, I’d really appreciate it.”

“But why?” asked Arthur, beginning to feel quite hot all of a sudden.

“I’ve already brought too much drama to your family vacation. It might be best if I just go home and take some time to sort things out.” Merlin looked all red-eyed and miserable.

“Merlin,” Arthur found himself saying. “Please stay.”

\---

Fluffy, wearing a red cotton sweater with white trim, bolted towards them as they entered the cabin. Merlin bent down and scooped up the excited Pomeranian, who lapped at this face.

“She missed you!” said Morgana coming out from behind the Christmas tree. “We all did. What have you boys been up to?”

“We just went into town to grab some coffee,” Arthur answered as he took off his shoes and walked into the den.

Morgana smiled to herself. “Mm-hmm.”

“You’re back just in time. We’re going to start decorating this lovely tree you found for us,” said Uther.

Merlin removed his winter gear and peeled off his socks, slightly damp thanks to the poor condition of his boots, and followed Arthur in. “I still can’t get over this place,” he said, gazing up at the lofty ceiling supported by exposed crossbeams. “I feel like I’ve walked into a dream.” From floor to walls to ceiling, the den was paneled in a honey-hued wood warmed by the sunlight shining in from the glass wall. A Persian carpet patterned richly in colors of wine and amber and black had been laid close to Arthur’s beloved old stone fireplace. To counter the intimidating dimensions of the space, the Pendragons had carved out a cozier area around the fireplace with a plush ivory sofa upholstered in Belgian linen and matching chaise lounges, strewn with cashmere blankets and oversized pillows. “I never want to leave here,” Merlin decided.

“I feel the same way,” responded Arthur as he plopped onto the sofa and watched Uther move the Christmas tree another few inches away from the fireplace.

“There. I think that’s perfect. Let’s string up the lights,” said Uther. Looking around at Morgana, Arthur, and Merlin, he seemed momentarily confused. “Merlin, where’s Will? Won’t he want to be here for this?”

Arthur’s heart picked up a pace as he watched Merlin go red. “He left this morning. Things were… We just thought it better…” Morgana’s eyes widened, and she turned to look at Arthur as she put the pieces together.

“I see. Well, that’s quite all right, Merlin. You’re of course still welcome here as Morgana’s guest and we need talk no more about it. Arthur, can you plug in this string?” Uther asked, changing the subject as he looped the lights around the branches. Merlin appeared relieved that Uther had dismissed the matter with so little fanfare and quickly walked to Morgana’s side to help her organize a set of beaded garlands.

“So Merlin, how’s life on campus? Morgana tells me the Occupy Wall Street movement has taken over Columbia lately. Do you go to these…rallies?” Uther asked in a detached tone.

Merlin hesitated for a moment. “Well, I have gone to a few, actually,” he admitted.

“I see.”

“People have to speak out for what they believe in. Not all of us can escape our Manhattan townhouses to vacation in Maine,” he said quickly. Uther raised his eyebrows, and Merlin panicked from his indiscretion. Trying to explain himself, he continued, “A lot of us are suffering right now. I just think there should be a more egalitarian distribution of wealth.”

“Ah, so you’re a proper radical then,” Uther responded, his eye twinkling.

“Oh Daddy, leave him alone,” Morgana said, bored.

“I don’t think I’m a radical, not really. It’s not radical to believe the gap between the rich and the poor is getting too big. Like, I’m on this insane scholarship to go to Columbia, or I’d never be able to afford it. My father…he died when I was very young,” Merlin looked down at the string of beads he was holding and slowly placed it on the tree. “I don’t even remember him. My mom, she took care of me, raised me all alone, but it was hard and we had next to nothing.”

“I quite agree with you on this one, Merlin,” Uther said firmly. “I am of Warren’s mind here; we do need to put more taxes into the system, and it shouldn’t be voluntary, just part of paying our dues to make sure everyone has a chance at a decent life. So that your mother can get the help she needs, and so smart boys like you can get an education at the top schools. That’s why this Christmas I’ll be making a substantial donation to organizations supporting the movement, and I’ve already made a few phone calls for the next election, pledging to support a presidential candidate who is willing to put his or her neck on the line to make social responsibility a priority.”

Merlin stared at him, flabbergasted.

“I guess you didn’t expect my father to be a raging socialist, did you, Merlin?” asked Arthur with some irony.

Uther laughed, “Oh Arthur, don’t be ridiculous. I just think that those of us who are so lucky as to have all this,” he paused, lifting his arms to indicate the room around him, “might shoulder more of the burden. Especially this time of year, when the welfare of others and the spirit of generosity should be most with us. Now, stop dawdling and help Merlin with that box of bulbs.”

Arthur sighed and headed over to Merlin, who looked flustered from his discussions with Uther. As Arthur reached out to take the box, Merlin stumbled and grasped the tree for support, knocking a bulb to the floor before smashing it with his bare foot. He screamed out in pain.

“Merlin, you clumsy idiot! Are you ok?” Arthur gasped, gripping Merlin by the shoulders.

“Fu--!!” Merlin cried, squeezing his eyes tight. “My foot!”

Arthur raised Merlin’s foot higher so he could see the sole and quickly plucked out a large shard of broken glass. A few drops of blood fell to the floor. He wrapped one of Merlin’s arms around his shoulders to steady him while Merlin whimpered. “Stop exaggerating, you enormous girl. It’s just you being an oaf as usual. Let’s go over to the bathroom and get you fixed up,” he said, as he led a limping Merlin out of the room.

“Now, you sit there,” ordered Arthur, pointing to the toilet seat and kneeling in front of him. “Let me take a closer look.” Arthur gently removed the smaller bits of glass that remained and cleaned the wound with antiseptic. He retrieved a bandage from the cabinet and began to wind it about Merlin’s foot.

“I’m sorry, Arthur. I’m such a ridiculous person. First I said that stupid thing to your father and then I made a complete mess of the tree and as if that weren’t enough, I bled all over your floor.”

“No, you’re not a ridiculous person. You’re quite fun to be around actually. It’s always an adventure.”

“It feels a lot better, now. Thanks. You’re good at taking care of people,” Merlin whispered.

Arthur rose to his feet. “Ok then, Merlin. That’s enough of that. You’re starting to embarrass me. Come on, let’s finish decorating the tree,” he said, reaching out his hand.

Merlin bit his lip and then smiled back at him. “Ok, let’s go,” he said, placing his hand in Arthur’s.

\--

The smell of ginger and molasses from the oven permeated the kitchen. Uther was rolling chocolate truffles between his palms, merrily bopping to the sound of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” from the _Glee Christmas Album_ that was playing on his iPod. In his enthusiasm, some of the chocolate plopped onto his striped apron, but he wiped it away without missing a beat. Cooling on a wire rack beside him were Christmas tree-shaped butter cookies, adorned with bright green sugar.

“Merlin, I don’t know how you can get a thing done in this chaos,” said Arthur.

“Oh, I don’t mind it. It’s nice actually. I never had a dad, and your dad is so…” Merlin looked over at Uther, “special.”

“He is at that,” Arthur answered, taking in the sight of Merlin looking so happy and sad at the same time. His ears poked out from his messy dark hair in a distressingly cute way and he found himself longing to touch the soft cotton of his sweatshirt and pull Merlin toward him.

“Goddamnit,” Arthur breathed.

“What’s the matter?” asked Merlin.

“Oh, uh, nothing. I was just thinking of some phone calls I have to make later. A problem at the office,” Arthur put on his best working professional face. “So what are you up to?”

“I’m filling out my FAFSA. It’s such a pain.”

“So you’re definitely going to try to go to med school, then.”

“As long as I get in somewhere!” Merlin responded.

“Where’d you apply?” asked Arthur, hoping that Merlin would name at least a couple of schools in New York.

“Um, let’s see…” Merlin pondered, tapping his cheek with his fingers. “Actually, it’s kind of embarrassing to admit, I mean to think that I would be good enough to get into any of the schools I applied to.”

“Come on, just tell me.”

“Ok, then. Harvard, John Hopkins, Brown, Washington, Stanford, and Columbia. And Cornell.”

“Wow, Merlin, those are really serious schools. Don’t you have any safeties? What did you get on your MCATs?”

“42,” Merlin said, blushing.

“Um, isn’t that incredibly good?” asked Arthur.

“I think it’s ok.”

“Merlin, you are one BAMF,” said Arthur appreciatively. Merlin grinned a little too hard, his eyes crinkling up in that way that drove Arthur nuts.

He was distracted from ogling Merlin’s face any further by the ringing of the doorbell. At the sound of it, Morgana hurried down the stairs.

“Who could that be?” she called. “We’re not expecting anyone, are we?” Seeing how nervous Merlin suddenly looked, Arthur was struck with the possibility of Will’s returning. Perhaps being without Merlin for a few days had brought home to him how much he needed Merlin. Arthur imagined Will walking into the cabin saying, “Merlin, I tried, but I just can’t live without you,” and Merlin running into his arms, relieved to be back together with him. At the thought of it, Arthur bolted up from his chair as if prepared for a throwdown.

“Santa!” cried Uther, opening the door and blocking Arthur’s view of the person outside. “You’re early this year. Christmas Eve isn’t until tomorrow night!”

“Just a UPS delivery, sir,” Arthur heard a man say with a chuckle. UPS? Arthur scrambled to the door to claim his box and found himself crashing into Merlin, who had run around the other side of the table.

“Oof!” cried Merlin, grabbing his shoulder. “Have some pity on me, Arthur!”

“I have one for Arthur Pendragon and one for Merlin Kilgharrah,” announced the deliveryman, holding up two brown boxes.

Arthur and Merlin glanced at each other with embarrassment and then walked calmly over to receive their deliveries.

Arthur cleared his throat, “Thank you, sir.”

“Mmm. Looks like some people have left their shopping to the last minute,” scolded Uther. “Thanks again, and a Merry Christmas to you,” he wished the UPS man as he closed up the door. “Now, what cookie should we make next?”

\---

He officially had a crush on Merlin. Although in retrospect it seemed obvious that his attraction to Merlin had been growing over the week, Arthur could no longer deny it to himself. And it terrified him. He had been alone for years and was comfortable that way. He didn’t have to deal with another person’s weird habits and needs, and he was used to coming home and going when he wanted. Most of all, Arthur had to admit, it meant he didn’t have to worry about getting his heart broken again. If he had a boyfriend it would change all that. Not that Merlin would want to be his boyfriend, Arthur reasoned. He had just broken up with Will and was most likely still tending his wounds.

Not that you could tell from the way Merlin had deliberately sat next to him on the sofa, leaving the two chaise lounges to Uther and Morgana. They had gathered that evening for their annual viewing of _It’s a Wonderful Life_ , Uther’s favorite Christmas film. Uther absolutely adored Potter’s orneriness but never failed to be gratified when George finally let him have it. He would stand up and proclaim George’s words along with him, having memorized the entire speech:

_“Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you’re talking about…they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn’t think so. People were human beings to him, but to you, a warped frustrated old man, they’re cattle. Well, in my book he died a much richer man than you’ll ever be!”_

Uther would point urgently at Potter on the screen before turning to laugh at his bored family and sit down again, shaking his head.

This time after Uther’s performance had diverted them from the movie, Merlin got up to get some milk. When he came back, Arthur noticed that he sat down just a little bit closer to him. After that Arthur completely gave up focusing on the movie. His eyes stared at the screen, but all of his awareness was centered on the presence of Merlin sitting just a few inches from him. He was so close Arthur could feel his body heat. If he just moved his arm, or shifted slightly to the right, they’d be touching. But Arthur sat frozen, too scared to bridge the gap between them, and hoping to God not to scare Merlin away, as if the slightest movement on his part might make this magic moment end.

_“Merry Christmas, movie house! Merry Christmas, Emporium! Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Building and Loan!”_

Arthur heard some quiet whimpering next to him and turned to see tears streaming down Merlin’s face as he tried to quiet his sniffles. Merlin wiped his eyes quickly and looked back at him, giving him an awkward smile. His face was so close, and his lips just slightly parted, as if waiting for Arthur to kiss him. _Dear God_ , Arthur prayed. He was not going to make it through this Christmas alive.

\---

Arthur felt exuberant as he tucked Merlin into the passenger seat of his black Lexus Hybrid and closed the car door, careful to make sure no part of Merlin’s clothing was sticking out. He had been nervous when he’d asked Merlin if he wanted to hear the Camelot Choir sing Christmas carols in town that night, trying not to draw attention to the fact that they’d be going alone. But Merlin’s uncomplicated excitement relaxed Arthur and made him feel silly for worrying. Arthur parked a few blocks away from the church so that he would have a chance to walk beside Merlin in the frosty air, the pale white lights glittering from the trees and shrubs all around them. It was Christmas Eve and it felt magical.

The small church, lit with candles, was full of happy families. Arthur and Merlin took a seat in the front where their view was unobstructed, and Arthur smiled to himself as he became aware of Merlin’s anticipation for the start of the performance. He wasn’t like other guys he’d met—he didn’t need to act ironic or hard or knowing. Merlin was innocent but he wasn’t a fool, and he let you see his heart in his eyes without disguise or shame. There was something in Merlin that made Arthur feel he could be open and free, that Merlin would through his goodness recreate something in Arthur that he had lost. Arthur tried to inch closer to Merlin in a non-obvious way, but Merlin just grinned at him without embarrassment.

The choir sang without accompaniment, yielding a repertoire of haunting carols that filled the church with the sound of hope and wonder. When “O Holy Night” began, Merlin leaned over and whispered, “This is my most favorite carol,” his lips brushing against Arthur’s ear. Arthur flushed and stared hard at Merlin’s hand as he fought not to snatch it up.

When the last note had ceased vibrating and the audience began to disperse, Merlin let his hand touch briefly on Arthur’s forearm as he said, “Thank you for taking me, Arthur. It meant a lot to listen to this music with you.” Arthur was stunned and didn’t know what to say, so he merely smiled and stood to lead them out.

When they exited the church, snow was falling softly around them. Merlin seemed content just to be, but the calm that Arthur had felt during the singing was dissipating like the snow melting into the sidewalk. As they drove back, Merlin made lighthearted chitchat about his impressions of the singers and the boyhood memories he associated with the carols they heard, while Arthur watched the road, making listening noises but preoccupied by the growing weight in his belly.

When they walked in to the cabin, only Fluffy came to greet them, and even she seemed weary, pattering over the floor with her paws and sniffing Merlin before retiring to a spot just beside one of the chaise lounges. Uther had left a low light on for them, but both he and Morgana had gone to their rooms already.

“Are you sleepy?” asked Arthur in a low voice.

“No, not really,” replied Merlin.

“What if I build us a fire? It might be nice on Christmas Eve,” Arthur suggested. Merlin nodded appreciatively and walked into the living room. He set some of the cushions from the couch down on the floor in front of the stone fireplace and settled in.

“What a help you are, Merlin,” Arthur teased as he took off his coat and hat and went to retrieve a couple of logs from the stack in the corner.

“Well I figured I would be useless, so I thought the best I could do would be to just get out of your way,” answered Merlin cheekily. “Oh! But I almost forgot your Christmas present.”

“You got me something?”

Merlin looked embarrassed but ran up to his room. He returned with a small wrapped package and resumed his place by the fire, which Arthur had by now prodded into life.

“Here,” he said.

The contents of the package, whatever it was, didn’t matter at all to Arthur. Merlin had thought of him. Merlin had bought him a Christmas present and wanted to give it to him now alone, after they had spent the evening listening to carols, away from the view of Uther and Morgana. He opened the wrapping, careful not to create even the smallest tear in the paper.

“ _The Student Prince_ ,” he said, reading the book cover. “Merlin, you remembered this was my favorite book.”

“Yes, I had the epub made special for you into hard copy by a small press. Do you like it?”

“I love it,” Arthur said. “Thank you.” He looked up at him through his eyelashes, “Would you like yours now too?”

“You got me something too?”

“Of course, you idiot,” Arthur laughed. “Why else do you think I nearly tackled the UPS guy? I was afraid you or Morgana would get a hold of it before I could hide it.” Arthur pulled out a set of three boxes from under the Christmas tree and handed them to Merlin.

The first gift was a lamb’s wool beanie with “Camelot” written across the front. “So you’ll always remember your time here,” Arthur said. The second was a warm, fashionable scarf. “So you will finally be dressed sanely when we go on our next hike.” And then Merlin opened the last gift. It was a lush cashmere sweater with a small design below the shoulder.

“I should admit that I didn’t buy that new, Merlin,” said Arthur awkwardly. “I didn’t buy it at all. It’s my sweater, actually, one of my favorites, and that’s the Pendragon family crest right there,” he explained, pointing, unable to look into Merlin’s eyes. “I wanted you to have it.”

“You wanted me to have it,” repeated Merlin quietly.

“Yes,” Arthur said.

“Then I love it. And I will put it on right now,” Merlin said, lifting off his hoodie and replacing it with the sweater. “It’s huge on me,” he grinned. Arthur felt as if an incurable sickness were creeping into his abdomen and unseating him as he looked at Merlin’s skinny form poking out of his old sweater.

“Merlin,” he said, his voice breaking.

“Yes, Arthur?”

But Arthur couldn’t answer. Instead he climbed over to Merlin and lowered himself beside him, propping a pillow behind his back. They stared into the fire for a long time. Arthur looked out past Merlin’s hair, the back of his neck, and watched the flames. He felt the curious sensation of something that both belonged to him and was yet not quite his. He felt the sudden weight of his aloneness and the fragility of this moment in which he might reach out and grasp something if he dared.

“I have always thought of Christmas as the season of hope,” murmured Merlin. “That this might be a time, our darkest hour, when light still shines for us, even if we have to create it ourselves. During Christmas we can believe in the promise of that light—that our lives will get better. That something more is possible.”

Without thinking, guided by his longing, Arthur lifted a hand and touched the back of Merlin’s neck, then ran his fingers up through Merlin’s hair, tugging softly at the strands. Merlin let the weight of his head rock back slightly into Arthur’s palm, exposing his throat. They stared at each other in silence, Arthur terrified but unable to break his gaze. He could hear Merlin’s rapid breathing. The fire Arthur had built was now a fire in his blood and his ears rang with its pulsing.

“Merlin,” Arthur whispered, his voice low and throaty, “I think I’m falling in love with you.” Merlin looked back at him but seemed unable to speak, his body shaking. Arthur pulled Merlin’s head toward him and then he was kissing him, their lips touching hesitantly at first and then Arthur was pushing for something deeper, sucking Merlin’s lip between his own and tenderly licking at the corner of Merlin’s mouth. Merlin gave a quiet moan and exhaled into their kiss and Arthur took in Merlin’s warm breath as if it could save him. He paused and touched his forehead to Merlin’s, trying to regain his self-control. With the tip of his nose he traced Merlin’s cheekbone until he found his hairline, and there inhaled. Merlin smelled of snow and oak and Merlin. “Please Merlin,” he breathed, “I’m so scared.”

Merlin reached up and stroked the side of Arthur’s face, giving him another slow kiss. “I love you too,” he whispered into Arthur’s mouth. “And I’ll never hurt you.”

\--

Christmas morning settled over a reluctant Arthur, its rays finding their way behind his eyelids and calling him to wake. The cushion he was half-sitting, half-lying on seemed to have morphed into a boulder during the night and twisted into his back until a hard ache had settled there. Overcoming the pain in his neck, Arthur turned to look around, spotting the black ashes all cold in the fireplace, and he tried to figure out how he had ended up like this.

And then there was Merlin, his gangly limbs wrapped all about him, his head resting on Arthur’s chest, the sweater he had given him enfolding Merlin like a blanket. Listening to his quiet breathing and gazing down at the way the creases in Merlin’s eyelids would tighten every once in a while as he dreamed, Arthur felt that Merlin was the Christmas miracle he hadn’t even known he’d needed. He didn’t want to move an inch, didn’t want to disturb the sleeping form or endanger the pleasant weight that pinned him down, but nor could he hold himself back from stroking Merlin’s messy hair or from tracing the outline of Merlin’s too-large ears. Merlin stirred and burrowed deeper into Arthur’s chest at the disturbance, prompting Arthur to enwrap Merlin in his arms more tightly as he squeezed him up higher on his chest. He buried his face in the soft dark mass crowning Merlin’s head and wrapped his free leg around Merlin’s. At this Merlin gradually awoke and turned his face upward to meet Arthur’s gaze.

“Morning,” he murmured, a little incoherent, and smiled.

Arthur felt a rush of love rip into him.

“Good morning, my beautiful one,” he answered gruffly, cupping Merlin’s chin and bringing his face toward him for a kiss. Merlin felt as perfect and soft as he remembered, their lips smashing into a gentle collision, the tip of Merlin’s tongue slipping into Arthur’s mouth. Arthur felt the kiss pulling him further in and leaving him lost in Merlin all over again.

A loud, purposeful grumbling noise brought Arthur back to the real world. He snapped his head up to find Uther and Morgana standing at the foot of the stairs, looking at them in surprise. Merlin scrambled off of Arthur and jumped to his feet.

“Oh! Good morning, Uther. Hi Morgana,” said Merlin, his voice a little too loud.

“Merry Christmas, my friend,” returned Morgana, grinning back at them, a pleased smirk on her face.

With the spell Merlin had woven around him broken, Arthur was horrified at his lack of discretion. He hadn’t anticipated falling asleep on the floor with Merlin and being discovered in the morning like a pair of profligate schoolboys. His face burned. Then he turned to look at Merlin, who looked distinctly less ashamed than he should and who even flashed him a shy smile, as if to let him know they were in this together. Arthur was reassured and he needed to be near Merlin again, to stand with him, to claim him in front of his family. So he did. Arthur rose from the floor and reached for Merlin’s skinny waist, wrapping his arm about it and pulling Merlin tight beside him.

“Merry Christmas,” he said to everyone, more confident now with the sense of Merlin’s body pushed up against his.

Uther assessed the pair for a moment before turning to Merlin. “So Merlin, tell me, do you plan on staying now?” he asked.

Arthur felt Merlin twitch and sensed his discomfort. “Well, I had hoped to stay for Christmas, yes. If that’s all right with you. I know how this…”

“No,” said Uther. “I mean, do you plan on staying _with my son_. Can I look forward to welcoming you to my home every Sunday for our family dinner?”

“Oh, yes!” Merlin answered, the corners of his eyelids spreading into tiny tributaries that fed ripples of happiness out over his face.

Merlin turned to look at Arthur beside him. “I’m not going anywhere.”

* * *

  
_Poem verse from Robert Frost’s “Afterflakes.”_

LJ Link: <http://asya-ana.livejournal.com/6291.html>


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